Heirloom Cameo

Heirloom Cameo is our barrel fermented Chardonnay. Or as Dena would explain it: “This wine wraps you in an elegant silk scarf and instantly makes you feel really good - about being you.”

The wine was fermented in a single large format French oak barrel or “puncheon.” The goal of this fermentation is to enhance the breadth and depth of the wine through contact with oak and extended yeast or “lees” aging.

Stylistically, this wine is made to be enjoyed throughout its time in bottle. Upon release the wine is fresh with pungent aromas and a broad mouth feel, followed by a crisp and satisfying finish. We expect this wine to age gracefully for several years and will reward a laddered approach to monitoring its development.

The Chardonnay for this wine is estate grown in 1 small block. The blend is about half Dijon clone 76 and half Dijon clone 95.

2019

Shimmering seashell attracts while Meyer lemon, lanolin, tangerine and kumquat zest scents allure. Pleasing on the palate, a richly textured mouthfeel aligns with pure fruit, supple oak character and delineating acidity. The resounding finish evolves and is as existential as you are. Hand Harvested.

- Amalie Robert Estate Tasting Notes

2018

​Solar Flare yellow flaunts while essence of starfruit, Meyer lemon, sandalwood and golden raspberries beckon. Taut and lithe, delineated and well-toned, the initial taste flexes vibrantly. Slowly and with intention, the wine begins to reveal layers and depth, expanding greatly within the disciplinary realm of persuasive acidity. A crisp and lingering finish persists conjuring memories of a long-forgotten rendezvous.

- Amalie Robert Estate Tasting Notes

2016

​Yellowjacket yellow swirls effortlessly while a hugely pungent aroma of lily, grilled star fruit and honeysuckle asserts itself. The BFC has arrived. Flashing the aftereffects of limited skin contact, the palate is broad yet delineated with underlying structure. At first playful, yet with purpose and intention, only gradually revealing the charms acquired from 16 month, large format French oak élevage that lingers resoundingly.

- Amalie Robert Estate Tasting Notes

Culinary Inclinations: Squid ink pasta sporting seared jumbo prawns tossed in extra virgin olive oil, topped with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a dusting of sweet Hungarian paprika.

2015

Heirloom daffodil yellow offers elegant scents of Lily of the Valley, star fruit, Asian pear, Myer lemon custard and brioche. Elegant and lithe on the palate, with subtle nuances harmoniously juxtaposed with acid, tannin and the gift of extended barrel aging build to a voluminous crescendo. Elegant, integrated, refined, and a seamless finish endures.

- Amalie Robert Estate Tasting Notes

Pale, glistening gold. Mineral- and lees-tinged citrus and orchard fruit aromas show excellent clarity and take on hints of honeysuckle, vanilla and sweet butter with air. Displays impressive depth on the palate, offering juicy, smoke-accented white peach, pear nectar and Meyer lemon flavors that show strong tension and back-end cut. The mineral quality comes back on a very long, smoky, lees-tinged finish that echoes the Meyer lemon and mineral notes. Fermentation, malo and 14 months of aging in new, 500-liter French oak barrels, with a bit of non-malo juice that was aged in stainless steel tank.

- Josh Raynolds, Vinous, September 2020 - 93 points

2014

BFC yellow. Unbridled aromas of calla lily, freshly grated ginger, honeycomb and just crushed variegated lemon thyme intrigue the frontal lobe as the svelte and vivacious wine explores your palate. The wines breadth is only matched by its depth and evolving flavors and textures as the mid palate yields to an effortlessly long crescendo.

- Amalie Robert Estate Tasting Notes

Limpid yellow. Ripe pear, Meyer lemon, vanilla and smoky minerals on the deeply perfumed nose, along with hints of jasmine and candied ginger that build in the background. Supple and well-concentrated, offering expansive citrus and orchard fruit flavors complemented by brioche and toasty lees nuances. The floral note repeats emphatically on the very long, supple finish, which is energized by a jolt of zesty acidity.

- Josh Raynolds, Vinous, February 2018 - 92 points

​          - Wine Enthusiast, October 2017 - 92 points

2013

Lemon Chiffon radiates essence while a choreographed profusion of star fruit, guava, passion fruit, pineapple, Meyer lemon and lime zest relentlessly tease. Articulate, deft and precise palate presence reveals a mutually exclusive yet collectively exhaustive kaleidoscopic array of flavors and textures providing an intimation of a voluptuous form as if silk veiled in afterglow. A purposefully and intentioned finish lingers longingly.

- Amalie Robert Estate Tasting Notes

Light green-tinged yellow. Musky citrus pith orchard fruits and honey on the assertively perfumed nose; hints of toasted brioche and vanilla emerge with air. Juicy and expansive on the palate offering smoke-tinged poached pear Meyer lemon and candied ginger flavors that tighten up slowly on the back half. Finishes on a zesty orange note displaying very good toasty persistence and a lingering suggestion of honeysuckle.

- Josh Raynolds, Vinous, January 2017 - 91 points

Estate grown and bottled. Dijon clones 76 and 95. Barrel fermented in a single French oak puncheon. Moderately light golden straw color in the glass. The nose is replete with aromas of lemon rind, apple and prickly pear. Both saline and earth charged, with primary flavors of lemon, pineapple, melon and subtle oak. Not a mainstream flavor profile and very individualistic, finishing with some length. Could be highly desirable or just unusual depending on your viewpoint, but in any case the wine is well composed.

- William "Rusty" Gaffney, M.D., PinotFile, September 2016 - 90 points

- The Wine Advocate, July 2016 - 91 points

2012

50 shades of Alabaster. Scintillating aromas of Meyer lemon zest, purple passion fruit and carambola sheathed in a suggestion of five spice and pheromone provide intrigue. The deftly balanced palate is silky chiffon with latent acidity providing a gentle lift, all the while the effortlessly evolving textures and aromas vex. The enduring finish echoes the virtue of presence without weight. 70 cases produced.

- Amalie Robert Estate Tasting Notes

Bright gold. Deep-pitched aromas of ripe orchard and pit fruits complicated by suggestions of honey and almond paste. Broad and fleshy but animated on the palate offering fleshy nectarine and pear nectar flavors and hints of candied ginger vanilla and buttered toast. Finishes smooth broad and long delivering a repeating ginger flourish and strong cut.

- Josh Raynolds, Vinous, January 2017 - 90 points

This barrel-fermented, estate-grown wine matches its luscious citrus and pineapple fruit to veins of butter, caramel and toast. It’s perfectly balanced, lively and fresh, even after being open for a full 24 hours. The style, now becoming particular to many Oregon Chardonnays, sits squarely on the fence between the hyper-lushness of California and the minerality of northern Burgundies.

- Wine Enthusiast, June 2015 - 92 points

The 2012 Chardonnay Heirloom Cameo is whole-cluster pressed and fermented in 500-liter puncheons and underwent partial malo before maturation in barrel without lees-stirring for 14 months. It has an attractive bouquet with citrus lemon, candied orange peel and yellow flowers that is nicely defined and neatly integrated the oak. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a rich and generous entry, waxy in texture with touches of toffee apple and shaved almond on the finish. This is a very well-crafted Chardonnay packed full of flavor. Only 70 cases produced.

- The Wine Advocate, March 2015 - 90 points

2011

Canary diamond yellow introduces supple aromas of seared pineapple, Meyer lemon zest and Easter lily. The mid-palate is focused and controlled as if ensconced in silk stockings, while layers of flavors and textures transcend minerality preserved by cleansing acidity. 75 cases produced.

- Amalie Robert Estate Tasting Notes

The 2011 Chardonnay Heirloom Cameo is the second vintage released, whole-cluster pressed and fermented in a 500-liter puncheon with batonnage. Unlike the 1012, this went through full malolactic. It has a paler color than the 2012, but perhaps greater delineation and precision on the nose with citrus peel, honeysuckle and juniper berries. The palate is well defined with crisp acidity, touches of almond and toffee apple, the leesy element coming through subtly on the persistent finish. Low key now, but I bet you this ages with a little more panache than the more outgoing 2012. We’ll see!

- The Wine Advocate, March 2015 - 91 points

2009

Understated pale yellow surprises with strong aromas of cherry orchard bloom, orange marmalade, cleaved pineapple, freshly cut Champagne mango, and Meyer lemon curd. The palate sensation is broad and textured with an expansive progression and delineated finish of crisp and echoing acidity. 80 cases produced.

- Amalie Robert Estate Tasting Notes

A flinty scent of seashells enlivens golden delicious apple aromas in this lean, bequiling white. It has a voluptuous texture, with juicy pear flavors supported by a clean mineral line. That mineral foundation focuses it through long finish. For roast cod.

- Wine & Spirits, October 2011 – 93 points, Year’s Best Chardonnay article

Lush and toasty, this barrel-fermented Chardonnay offers an explosion of semi-tropical fruits that coat the tongue without tiring the palate. Almost Rhône-like—it could pass for a Roussanne in a blind tasting—it’s exotic and complex.

- Wine Enthusiast, December 2011 - 92 points

Light straw color and clear in the glass. Enticing aromas of white peaches, lemon curd, white pears and buttery oak. Delicious and juicy array of white peach, Asian pear, baked apple and pineapple flavors, honed with just the right amount of mineral-driven acidity for brightness, and offering a silky mouth feel that excites the senses. A classic, and maybe the best Oregon Chardonnay I have ever had. Exceptional rating.

- PinotFile, November 2011, Exceptional rating

Email: Cuvee@amalierobert.com